


big iron

by scoutishere



Category: The Adventure Zone (Podcast)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Western, Hand Jobs, M/M, Oral Sex, Strangers to Lovers, also known as fantasy texas, and i just wanted more of that sweet good gay cowboy content, but i'll just write my gay cowboys with happy endings for now, explicit for firearm use and sexy times in chapter 2, honestly i just wanted to have fun with western taagnus, i loved the eleventh hour, so here's that!, think refuge but not refuge, wish all cowboys could get happy endings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-06
Updated: 2019-08-07
Packaged: 2020-08-10 07:20:09
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,535
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20131501
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/scoutishere/pseuds/scoutishere
Summary: The swinging doors of the saloon fly open, and in their wake is somebody new. Someone Taako’s never seen before. He’s tall, and his shoulders are broad, filling up the whole doorway as he walks into the bar. He’s wearing a thick, protective flannel tucked into a leather belt with an attached holster - packing heat. There’s a pistol in that holster, a .44, and Taako doesn’t know much about guns, but the sight of this intimidatingly large man with such a violent weapon makes his mouth a bit dry. He’s handsome, too - he’s a human, and he’s got to be just shy of middle age, but his face is youthful in a way that Taako’s not sure how he achieves. His hair is dark red, and he has a set of ridiculous sideburns that trail into a full beard, streaked with gray. On his hat is a leather cowboy hat, and he tips it to Taako as he approaches the bar. “Howdy,” he says, his voice a bit low, and making Taako’s chest rumble.Or, Taako is a bartender at a saloon in Fantasy Texas, and Magnus Burnsides, a ranger from the south, is looking for an outlaw by the name of John.(Title/chapter titles/premise based off of the song "Big Iron" by Marty Robbins.)





	1. one and nineteen more

Taako hates his job. 

Okay, well, maybe hate is a strong word. But he does feel strongly. He’s worked at this saloon as a bartender for a couple years now, and every day, it’s more irritating. He thought living out west would have its perks, and while he certainly feels freer, he has to deal with the same old shit every day. 

As he crouches down below the counter to retrieve a rag, some dust unsettles from the floor, making him sneeze. He retrieves the rag, and starts to wipe down the dirty counter before him. Everything is like this, here. The swinging double-doors that enter the Saloon don’t exactly keep the hot dust out, nor the sweltering heat. Taako’s enchanted all of his mugs and cups to be icy cold, but he can’t figure out a spell that could enchant a whole room while keeping heat out. He’s been working on it for a while, but usually only manages to keep his drinks cool, letting himself and his customers sweat beads that streak the dust coating their skin. 

Most of his customers are older men, and not nice ones. His wages are pretty low, that’s for sure, and these customers aren’t the ones who like to tip. They’re rowdy, because that’s Fantasy Texas for you: wide open, wild, and rude. The ones that are sitting at the counter right now have had perhaps a bit too much beer. They keep having Taako fill up their huge mugs, the white foam sloshing off the side when Taako sets them down in front of the men. Sure, it would probably be better for Taako to limit their alcohol intake, for the sake of preventing public drunkenness, but he’s gotta make a buck when he can. One of the men is a large, bugbear prospector. His dark, furry coat seems to be cropped short, and Taako can tell it’s lightened from days spent traveling in the harsh Texas sun. 

The bugbear is arguing with the man next to him, a tall, broad human man, his hair grayish-black, salt and pepper, and short. Taako knows the man: he’s one of the minor outlaws in the town he’s living in, the town the Saloon is located in San Marcos. Johnny. It’s not like Taako likes him. He doesn’t hate him either. His outlaw status doesn’t really bother Taako at all, either. He’s killed, but so has Taako. Just not in this town. Business is business. But Johnny’s causing quite the ruckus. 

“I saw ‘im. Riding in this morning. Stopped at the inn. I swear it, Klarg,” Johnny says gruffly, slamming his beer down on the counter. 

“Saw who? And don’t fucking crack my mugs, Johnny,” Taako warns. Johnny looks at him with a heated, drunkenly angry look, but Taako glowers at him. He walks closer, ensuring Johnny can see the wand strapped to his hip. Taako isn’t going to let some petty criminal try to intimidate him. Sure enough, after a moment, Johnny looks away, breaking eye contact. 

Glancing over to the swing double doors, Johnny speaks. “Stranger in town. Big guy. Red hair. Came ridin’ in from south this mornin’. Big horse, too.”

Klarg, which Taako supposes is the bugbear’s name, elicits a gruff laugh. “Why’s it matter?” 

Johnny seems to straighten up, trying to get the upper hand against Klarg. His customers are weird, like that: men always trying to one-up each other, be more masculine, more western than each other. It’s ridiculous, and Taako gives them a warning glare. He doesn’t tolerate fighting in his saloon. 

Straightening up his outer layer, a jacket, Johnny clears his throat. “He’s got a big iron on his hip, didn’t talk to anyone when he came in. Could be law enforcement.” 

And Taako doesn’t know what Klarg may be running from, but he sees the joking expression fall from the bugbear’s face. Taako would be worried, too, but he knows that he’s so far away from where he started, nobody would be there for him. 

His eyebrows knitted, Klarg’s grip on his glass grows white. “From the south, you said?” 

Johnny just nods. Klarg murmurs something about getting out of there, pulls out a pouch of gold, and leaves more than his bill accounts for on the countertop, leaving the saloon quickly. It wasn’t too much of a tip, but Taako places the extra gold in his tip jar at the bar. Only a few more hours until he can leave. 

Ren was supposed to be there to help him, but called in sick today, which annoyed Taako, but he understood. She was also trying to study on her own, always carrying stacks of books from the library in their little springs town. San Marcos was so small, though, that there wasn’t a place to get higher education for miles on end. Taako had thought about going to culinary school back where he used to live, but didn’t have the money to make it happen. He sighs, not wanting to think about it, as he grabs the half-empty glass from where Klarg had been sitting, dumping it out and beginning to clean. 

There are a few people drinking and eating besides the men sitting at his bar, and Taako, being the only employee there today, had to manage 3 jobs at once, but when Johnny called him over again, wanting to talk, Taako decided he could polish glasses and listen for a moment. “Taako. Over here,” Johnny called, and Taako complied, more bored than anything else. 

“I think he’s here for me,” Johnny says to him, and it’s small, shaky, quiet-- the tone of voice Taako’s never heard from him before. He’s usually trying to be big and bad throughout town, devouring whoever got in his way. But Taako revels in hearing Johnny’s voice like this. “The, uh, the stranger in town.” 

Taako nods. “How do you reckon?” he asks, genuinely wondering. 

“Came in from the south side. That’s where I came from, when I came to San Marcos. ‘Nother town a few dozen miles to the south,” Johnny states simply. After he speaks, he brings his beer up to his lips once more, draining the rest of the liquid. Taako offers to fill it, and Johnny nods, setting down a few more gold pieces for it. 

Setting the refilled mug down in front of Johnny, Taako peers at him. “What’d you do?” 

Watching Johnny’s face flash from recollection to remembering is an interesting view, seeing the man in front of him mull through his memories. “Killed a man. Many men.” 

“Did you have a good reason?” Taako asks, polishing a glass with the rag in his hand and setting it down in a cabinet behind him. 

Laughing a bit darkly, Johnny shakes his head. “No.” 

Taako purses his lips. He’s not really in the mood for Johnny’s talks about his shenanigans and past right now. He straightens up, polishing a glass again. It’s mostly for show. He doesn’t carry on the conversation. After a few minutes of Johnny drinking his beer in silence, he throws down a (miniscule, for the amount he drank) tip, and exits the saloon. Taako’s relieved, and gets back to business as usual. 

At least, until a few dozen minutes later, when the swinging doors of the saloon fly open, and in their wake is somebody new. Someone Taako’s never seen before. He’s tall, and his shoulders are broad, filling up the whole doorway as he walks into the bar. He’s wearing a thick, protective flannel tucked into a leather belt with an attached holster - packing heat. There’s a pistol in that holster, a .44, and Taako doesn’t know much about guns, but the sight of this intimidatingly large man with such a violent weapon makes his mouth a bit dry. He’s handsome, too - he’s a human, and he’s got to be just shy of middle age, but his face is youthful in a way that Taako’s not sure how he achieves. His hair is dark red, and he has a set of ridiculous sideburns that trail into a full beard, streaked with gray. On his hat is a leather cowboy hat, and he tips it to Taako as he approaches the bar. “Howdy,” he says, his voice a bit low, and it makes Taako’s chest rumble. 

He feels a bit dumbstruck with how attractive this stranger is, even though he knows from context that this is almost definitely the man Johnny described, a law enforcement officer. He’s got the look of it too; there are some pieces of leather armor and straps that cross his body, and this kind of pistol isn’t something normal citizens usually just carry around. Additionally, there are scars all over his face and hands, even a big one that bisects his eyebrow. “Howdy,” Taako gets out. “What can I get you to drink?” 

“Tall cider, thanks,” he says, and his hands dip into a pouch hanging from his hip to retrieve a handful of gold pieces. Indiscriminately, he sets the handful down, pushing it forward to pay as Taako sets down his drink in front of him. 

Incredulously, Taako peers at him. “You know that a tall cider’s only 4 gold pieces, big guy?” he asks, because sure, he’ll take any tip he can get, but this guy must have put down at least 40 gold pieces in front of him. 

The handsome stranger sitting in front of him shrugs, giving him a slight smile. “Keep the change,” he says, a bit too smoothly, and Taako shrugs and deposits the surplus payment in his tip jar. He’s set on rent for the rest of the month, at least for now. So… that’s cool. 

Because there aren’t too many customers in need of his attention right now, Taako lets himself linger behind the bar counter, polishing glasses and cleaning surfaces. When he can, he tries to catch glimpses of the stranger. He’s not shy, but most people in this side of Faerun aren’t super keen on being questioned, even with small qs like names and where you come from. The stranger’s just sitting there, but from Taako’s little glances, he can see some more characteristics he may have missed when he first came in. There’s dust coating his skin, and some sweat gathers at the line of his hair, which streaks the dry dust on his forehead. His skin is tan, darkened by days spent outside, maybe travelling, and his hands are broad like his shoulders, rough and big. They look like workman’s hands. Is he sure this was the ranger? 

The man in front of him clears his throat, and Taako realises with a bit of a rush that he’s been staring, and the stranger smirks at him. Taako looks somewhere else. “Can I get you something more to drink?” 

The man shakes his head no. “What’s your name?” he asks, and Taako can’t think of a good lie or a good reason to lie, so he straightens his back and gives the man a smile. 

“I’m Taako. You may know me from radio? I had a cooking channel for a while, in the southeast,” he blurts out, and then sets his hands on the counter in front of him. “What’s yours?” 

Bringing the frothy cider up to his lips again, the man takes a long drink, before replying. “Magnus Burnsides,” he says clearly, with no hesitation. “Nice to meet ya.” 

Looking on as he continues to polish glasses, Taako nods. “Nice to meet you too. Why are you in San Marcos, Magnus?” he asks, getting straight to the point. He has to know. 

Magnus’ expression darkens a bit, if Taako’s eyes don’t betray him. His thoughts race. “Came up from the south. Heard some things about an outlaw here. Maybe you know him. Name’s Johnny. Some criminals like to call him The Hunger.”

Crooking an eyebrow at the man in front of him, Taako pondered what to say. He was no narc, but he wasn’t a fan of Johnny, either. “Sure, I’ve heard of him. Small town,” he comments neutrally, looking through the man’s handsome face. 

Magnus seems to sense that he’s holding out, and locks eyes with him, and Taako feels this intensity in his expression that he almost never sees from anyone. It’s a genuine look into Taako’s own soul by the man in front of him, not drunken shenanigans or useless violence like the people of this town usually go for. He’s serious, and Taako feels almost a little intimidated by the honest stare. 

Letting him drink in silence for a while, Taako takes care of some of his tables of saloon guests, retrieving food and drinks for them and checking out customers. From his back, he can feel Magnus’ eyes on him. It’s an odd feeling. It almost feels like Magnus knows he’s running from a criminal past. But he doesn’t, right? 

It’s just Taako being paranoid. And if he watched Magnus Burnside’s back as he walked across the saloon, seeing the way his worn, light jeans hugged his butt, then that was Taako’s business, and nobody else's. 

Curse Ren for not showing up to work today.


	2. back alive or maybe dead

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _“Whatever, my man,” he says, but his teeth are gritted, and he leans his head forward to suck a hickey onto Magnus’ neck. After he’s done, he licks the bruised skin, making the man above him shudder. “I don’t care if you aren’t here for long. I don’t care if you know I’m a criminal. Let’s just do this.” _
> 
> Magnus is a ranger from the south. Taako is running from his past, and gets lucky. Magnus and John have a gunfight.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Playlist (mostly from Fallout: New Vegas):
> 
> It’s a Sin - Eddy Arnold  
Why Don’t You Do Right (Get Me Some Money) - Peggy Lee  
Jolene - Dolly Parton (Justin McElroy Cover) (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ugS9YYRW9_8&list=PLcVYKiipwb-BKrdt8tGKlxELhJjViQap7&index=9)  
Mad About the Boy - Helen Forrest  
Heartaches by the Numbers - Guy Mitchell  
Johnny Guitar - Peggy Lee  
Big Iron - Marty Robbins

The ranger Magnus Burnsides would not leave his bar’s counter. 

It had been an hour. Usually, strangers come and go without speaking to him but for their drink orders, but Magnus had continued (in his slow, steady drawl) smalltalk with Taako at the bar, even when Taako left to sweep or clean the bar’s windows. The first questions were real nice-like. 

“How long you been workin’ at this here saloon?” Magnus had asked, on his second mug of cider. (Taako was actually kind of impressed to see Magnus hadn’t even begun to act tipsy after 1.5 mugs of cider.) 

Taako considers a moment. “Next month it’ll be 2 years. I’m just the saloonkeep usually, and there’s another gal, Ren, who works as a waitress mostly, and barkeep when I can’t.” 

Magnus squints a little bit at the wooden decor of the saloon. It’s an old building, and the wood is worn down from use. On every corner of the walls there is accumulated dust and cobwebs, and Magnus gives a polite little cough. “You own this place?” 

Taako almost laughs. “Nah. Owner’s a rich guy, lives a couple miles out with his family. Barely ever comes down, though, ‘cept to pay us or yell at us like old men do,” he jokes a bit. Everyone who had been frequenting the saloon had left, and it leaves just Taako tending the bar and cleaning while Magnus continues to chat with him. 

“Where’d you live before San Marcos, Taako?” 

And, well, that is out of the usual, and makes Taako hit his elbows against the counter as he spins around unscrupulous. People do not ask those kind of questions in San Marcos. You’re supposed to be able to get away with nobody caring to know where you came from, what history you have, what you’re running from… 

Taako considers for a moment. He steadies himself. “From the southeast,” he says shortly, and turns again, retrieving some cleaning liquid to clean the windows facing the street of his small, dusty town. 

Unfortunately, he can’t help but sense Magnus’ emotions, how he wants to know what Taako’s history is, and how he looked at him earlier with this honest stare that pierced his soul. His questions just had to keep getting more personal, didn’t they? 

From behind him, he hears Magnus speak. “Well, you mentioned the radio, and I reckon I might’a heard of you, Taako. Think I might’a heard something bad happenin’, back southeast,” he says, and it’s in this low, drawling speak, and the words make Taako feel angry, how dare he ride into San Marcos with his big gun and his big horse, and try to talk about Taako about his past? He turns to face Magnus, and he’s sure his face is betraying him, the white-hot anger and frustration he feels. Setting his cleaning supplies down on a nearby table, he swiftly draws his wand, and points it directly at Magnus. 

He’s breathing, hard, and Magnus looks a bit stunned to see Taako’s wand pointed at his chest, and Taako’s eyes glowering and threatening. Magnus is taller than him by a longshot, but that could hardly matter because Taako is the most intimidating person in the room. He’s sure Magnus can sense his arcane power, the powers that course through him that are not necessarily controlled well, or tapped into often. Magic bubbles from his very being, and he’s got a weapon pointed straight at him.

Taako takes another deep breath, his grip steady, and walks just a little closer to Magnus. “Oh, really? Because I haven’t heard anything of the sort,” he says, shrugging dramatically, and Magnus is beginning to raise his hands up in a bit of a white-flag fashion. 

Faltering a bit, Taako peers at him. “Put your gun on the counter, then I’ll put my wand down. Slowly. My reflexes are faster than yours,” he chides, and Magnus does, reaching for his pistol and depositing it on the countertop.

And Taako lowers his wand, sliding it back into place strapped to his hip, and he’s about to pick up his towel and spray bottle once again before from the corner of his eye he sees Magnus walk towards him, with purpose, and he’s being crowded against the wall, Magnus’ broad frame pushing him back. He struggles for a moment, a bit of fear making him breathe a bit faster, because this guy could really hurt him if he wanted to, but before he knows what’s going on, Magnus’ head is dipping down and his face is mere centimeters away from his own, his lips giving Taako a little… smile? And Taako can feel his breath on his own lips, and it makes his whole body alight in goosebumps. “Can I kiss you?” he hears, or maybe he feels it, because Magnus’ deep rumbling voice he can feel in his chest, and Magnus’ hot breath warms his upper lip. And he’s leaning forward, his lips connecting with the man in front of him, Magnus’ hat brushing his forehead and his lips are warm, sweetened by the cider he’s been drinking since he arrived at Taako’s saloon. 

It all happens so quickly, Taako feels almost dizzy, because he’s being pinned to the wall by this scarred stranger, and they keep kissing, hard, hungrily. His hands have come up to wrap around Magnus’ neck, pulling him closer, and he can feel Magnus’ own hands, rough, calloused and big, coming to rest as his hips, gripping him a little roughly. It’s extremely hot, and Taako continues to kiss him, his tongue sliding along Magnus’ lips teasingly. 

He can feel Magnus’ hands on his sides run over him, his back, and drifting down. By now, he can feel how turned on he is, and feels a little embarrassed, but it’s certainly been a while since he’s been able to go for it with anyone like this. Fantasy Tinder was absolutely dry out here, and it made sense. For miles all around San Marcos there was just desert, oranges and reds and browns surrounding them all around. So what if Taako can feel himself aching against the zipper of his blue jeans? 

Their tongues are moving together, now, and he just pulls Magnus closer, because he’s certainly not close enough right now, before the wind rustles the swinging double doors near them and Taako squeaks, pushing Magnus off of him and straightening out his clothes, before realizing it wasn’t a customer, only a gust of wind. He sighs in relief, and then locks up the entrance quickly, before looking at Magnus, who is a bit puzzled. Winking, Taako takes his hand and leads him to the back of the Saloon. 

It’s a wimpy little setup, just a tiny kitchen accessed through the bar, but there’s a little room attached that is kind of a break room for him and Ren, with a couple chairs and a table. Taako presses Magnus inside of this room, kissing him hard against the wall, liking the change of dynamic, the way he can press an elven hand against Magnus’ chest and make his breathing change, rough and heavy. His nose bumps against Magnus’ own, and he takes a moment to consider Magnus’ nose, sunburned and freckled, and previously broken and hardly mended in a couple of places. It just adds to his rugged charm. 

Within minutes of them moving back there, he feels a hand against his chest, gently urging him away, and Taako is horny but not a monster, and pulls away from Magnus. Just looking at the man in front of him lights a fire inside of him, a bit, seeing the way his eyes are half-lidded, looking at Taako headily, and his lips are parted, looking a little red from the way they’d kissed, bruising one another’s lips. 

But he clears his throat, and Taako listens. “Taako, I won’t be here for long. However long it takes me to find Johnny, and I can’t imagine it’ll be more than a day. And I know… of you. Of your past,” he says, honestly, and it makes Taako a little angry again, but Magnus grabs his arm before he’s able to reach for his wand. “Woah, there, buckaroo. Listen. I’m not here in this town for you. You can relax.” 

And he slumps forward a bit, a knot inside of himself undoing, but he still hates that Magnus is even talking about his past. What a fuckwad. He wishes Magnus wasn’t so hot. “Whatever, my man,” he says, but his teeth are gritted, and he leans his head forward to suck a hickey onto Magnus’ neck. After he’s done, he licks the bruised skin, making the man above him shudder. “I don’t care if you aren’t here for long. I don’t care if you know I’m a criminal. Let’s just do this.” 

Magnus nods, and kisses him again, catching their lips together, and Taako isn’t sure if it’s because of him or because of Magnus but this time it’s harder, their teeth clacking together roughly and Magnus’ tongue exploring inside of his mouth. He moves even closer, their bodies pressed together against the wall, and he finds Magnus hard against his leg, and can’t help but smirk against his lips. 

But Magnus doesn’t seem to be embarrassed, or seem to want to play this game, as he tangles his hand in Taako’s loose braid, pulling and making Taako moan for real, a groan that vibrates both of their mouths, and his rough hands are coming down to touch Taako’s torso from under his shirt, his hands slipping up to feel his skin. It makes Taako shiver, and he pull away to strip off his shirt, discarding it behind him, and Magnus dives forward to kiss sloppily along his neck, sucking at some spots, and Taako urges him on, arching his body to meet Magnus’ mouth. His hands are trailing over Taako’s chest, now, and his palms settle below his nipples before coming up to gently brush over them, making Taako shudder and moan.

Slowly, hotly, Magnus drags his tongue over Taako’s collarbones, and his hands are going down, coming to the buckle of Taako’s belt, but Taako shakes his head, needing to even the playing field, and he tugs maybe a little roughly at the flannel Magnus is still wearing. Magnus unbuttons a couple of the top clasps before taking the shirt off, and discarding it on the floor. Taako just looks at him for a second, seeing his broad chest, with some smatterings of red hair. He’s muscular, but not in a defined way; this strongness is not for beauty, it is out of necessity, and work. His broad arms are free, too, and he can see the scars that haunt his skin, a few bullet wounds, and some magical wounds, as well. The scars did not end on his face. Taako takes a moment to run his hands over the expanse of Magnus’ chest, feeling the hair and marks of battle under his fingers. 

Magnus leans down to kiss him again, pulling him close, and Taako’s hands come down to Magnus’ jeans, his fingers slipping below the fabric and feeling Magnus’ happy trail. It makes the man in front of him groan a bit, and so he undoes the button, unzipping him and tugging his pants down. He’s wearing a pair of boxers that betray his erection, which stands up and strains against the red fabric covering him. Taako kneels in front of him, and he can see Magnus gulp, his hand coming down to touch Taako’s face as Taako pulls his boxers down, letting Magnus’ cock bob and come to rest, red and throbbing, against Magnus’ stomach. He looks up at Magnus, and sees this expression of lust, his eyes lidded and somehow still electrified, his hands urging him on. So he leans forward, mumbling a little cantrip to coat his hand in slick, and grabs Magnus’ cock, giving it a few strokes, light and slow. 

And Magnus straight up whines at that, his hips bucking forward. “Don’t tease,” he says gruffly, but Taako lets out a laugh as he continues stroking him loosely, not giving him any relief. 

“I’ll do whatever I want,” Taako replies, blase, and suddenly grips Magnus harder, tighter, giving him a couple quick jerks in succession for a moment, before returning to his looser, slower grip, and making Magnus groan. 

He can hear Magnus’ shallow breath, and he’s breathing hard and fast, and he looks up to see the man above him, his face red and looking desperate. Magnus closes his eyes. “Please, Taako, I need… something, anything,” he begs, and Taako purrs, loving the power he gets from Magnus’ words. Taako leans forward and kisses Magnus’ hip, just above his cock, and it makes Magnus twitch in his hand, straining against his grip. 

Then, because he’s teased for long enough, Taako fully grips Magnus’ cock, thumbing over the head as he strokes him, hard, and Magnus’ knees shake as he grips Taako’s hair. He’s murmuring these little ‘ah’s that make Taako feel like he’s burning inside, and with his other hand, he runs his hand over Magnus’ penirium, and then playing with his balls as he continues to jack him off. Magnus’ hips are pinned against the wall as he does so, but his cock twitches in Taako’s hand and his hips try to cant forward to his touch. 

Curiously, Taako looks up to catch Magnus’ eyes, and sees them half-lidded, his pupils blown, looking almost fucked-out. It makes Taako’s cock strain against his pants, and he tenses his legs to get some of the pressure off, desperately turned on on his knees. Magnus’ mouth is open, and he’s moaning, just looking at Taako, seeing him on his knees in front of him. Unable to resist a little playfulness, Taako ducks his head down, and continues to stroke Magnus’ cock as he licks and mouths over Magnus’ balls, caressing them with his tongue, and he sees Magnus’ mouth drop open in a gruff moan that rumbles through him. 

Before Magnus can give a warning, he’s cumming, splattering over Taako’s hand and arm, and his legs shake, Taako keeping him steady. He strokes him through it, until Magnus is whining from oversensitivity, and guides Taako’s hand off of him. Taako raises to a standing position, his knees aching a bit from the hardwood floor, but he catches Magnus by the lips, leaning against him and shamelessly grinding his erection against Magnus’ hip. Although Magnus is still panting and sweat drips from his forehead, he seems to get the idea, and his big, skilled hands come down to unbuckle Taako’s belt before undoing his jeans and tugging them down. 

Taako lets a breath out from between his teeth, tense and desperate as his cock is freed from the denim prison of his jeans. They fall to the floor in a puddle, and Taako is quick to strip off his underwear too, leaving him naked, and Magnus’ hands come to brush over his torso, flat palms caressing the space above his hips. He shuts his eyes for a moment, breathing through his nose. “Touch me,” he commands, and Magnus flips them, so Taako’s braced against the wall, and his heart races at Magnus’s hand finally, finally wraps around his length, and his hands are dry and his grip is loose consequently, but the warmth makes Taako nearly jump out of his skin, yelping at the relief that Magnus’ touch brings him and arching his back, urging his hips forward. 

Before Taako has time to process the feeling of Magnus’ rough but gentle hands on his cock, he realizes he can feel Magnus’ hot breath no longer on his own lips but against the base of his cock, and Taako groans in surprise and pleasure as Magnus takes him into his mouth, hollowing out his cheeks and sucking, hard. Bracing himself against the wall in order to not fall over, he looks down at Magnus before him, on his knees, with those perfect, hazy, bedroom eyes. There’s a feeling deep in his chest that he can’t place, one that makes him want to kneel down next to him and kiss him, deep and hard, but he also just wants to watch the show, and he wouldn’t dare stop Magnus from what he’s doing. Taako tangles a hand in his dark ginger hair, urging him forward, and Magnus pushes his head deeper, gagging a bit, and Taako can see his eyes water. 

But then he’s pulling away, his hands heavy on Taako’s hips, which makes Taako whine a bit despite himself. He pulls off of Taako’s cock with a pop, his tongue lingering near the side of his length. Breathing heavily, he looks up at Taako with that delicious expression. “Turn over,” he says, and Taako is obeying before he can even think of why he would turn over --

But, oh. Magnus’ hands are on his back, trailing down to his ass, and his calloused palms are spreading him open before he can feel that hot breath again, this time over his entrance. And before he can think about anything or tell Magnus he doesn’t have to, he can feel the man’s tongue on him licking from his penirium from his entrance, and his knees jerk with the feeling, melting into it. He can’t help the moan that falls from his open mouth, but Magnus seems to enjoy it, because he can feel the vibrations against his ass from Magnus’ encouraging hum. He keeps licking him, his tongue flat against Taako’s entrance, circling, lapping, leaving saliva trailing down to his penirium and making him shiver and jerk. 

There’s not much Taako can do but to bring his hand down, wrapping around the base of his cock to relieve the pressure there and stroking himself lightly. Magnus’ hands are spreading him and massaging his ass, and the roughness of his hand and tongue make him feel like he is on fire. After a few strokes of his quick, knowing hand over his cock, he’s cumming, arching his back to meet Magnus’ mouth on his skin. He bends his knees to keep them from buckling, but his legs shake, and he can feel Magnus’ broad hands on the backs of his thighs, keeping him steady, and it’s comforting, and familiar somehow. His body is filled with fire, cock pulsing as he cums, streaks of white landing on the wall in front of him. He slumps forward, then, resting his face against the cool wall, panting and recovering from his high. 

When he gets the mind to, he turns around, facing Magnus, who has stood up, and put back on his pants. He peers at the shelves in the break room, probably trying to find paper towels, and Taako pulls up his pants, too. He casts a quick prestidigitation over the wall and himself, cleaning himself of the saliva that had been dripping from his hole. He shivers a bit, still sensing that phantom feeling, and dresses. Though his legs still feel wobbly, he approaches Magnus’ back, wrapping his hands around Magnus’ waist and kissing his neck. He seems to soften with Taako’s grip. “What’cha looking for there, cowboy?” 

And Magnus chuckles a bit at that, before shrugging. “I was looking for something to clean you and us up, but I just remembered, you’re magic.” 

It’s just a little compliment, but the affection makes Taako’s stupid gay heart flutter a little. “I’m not magic, I use magic,” he corrects, gently. “I cast prestidigitation, which can clean up messes.” 

But Magnus turns around, looking him straight in the eyes. His expression is soft. “Nah. You’re magic.” He winks at Taako, and Taako’s embarrassed at how much it makes him blush. 

As he looks into Magnus’ face, though, his expression gentle, he feels a strike of fear for the man in front of him. This hook-up had been spur of the moment, but Magnus is in San Marcos for a reason, and the reason is that he’s trying to hunt down Johnny. And Johnny’s never lost in a gunfight. He feels a pang of worry as he looks at the relaxed expression on Magnus’ face. 

“Magnus, I don’t think you should try to find Johnny. He’s vicious, and a killer, and he’ll shoot you. You don’t want to die, today, do you?” he asks, and he can see that Magnus understands how strongly he feels. 

But Magnus just smiles at him, this polite, kind smile that he wore when he first walked into the saloon. “You may not know this, but I trust myself in a gunfight. I’m not worried. It doesn’t matter if it’s Johnny, this time. It won’t be different,” he says confidently, a little foolhardy. And Taako… for lack of better words, likes the man before him, so it sucks to know that he could die at any point today, especially if he doesn’t take Johnny seriously. But there’s a bigger part of him that knows that it doesn’t matter. Sure, they hooked up in the back of Taako’s saloon, but he’s just another man. Just like he had said… He wouldn’t be in town for long. 

So Taako nods, shrugging, and they retrieve their shirts and put them on. Magnus leaves his shirt a little open, showing the upper expanse of his chest, dusted with that red hair that Taako finds absolutely delicious. And he leans forward, mouthing along Magnus’ jaw, making the man before him moan a little bit, his hands coming forward to drape loosely around Taako’s hips. He smiles against Magnus’ skin at the affectionate touch. 

But he’s grounded again when he hears yelling outside, sounding a bit drunk. It’s not right next to the shop, and doesn’t seem to be directed at the shop, but Taako can definitely hear the ruckus outside. He tenses a bit, pulling away and walking to the main room of the saloon, walking to the windows at the front of his shop to investigate. Magnus follows behind him, grabbing his pistol from the bar where it had been set down before. 

Pulling the curtains back, Taako looks out of the window to the main street of San Marcos. It’s a dirt road, because everything here is dirt and sand, and there are a mass of people on the street next to Johnny, who is standing in front of them. Johnny looks confident as ever, and seems to be spurring the crowd on, yelling about something. As Taako scans the 10 person crowd, he realizes only a few are yelling with Johnny, while the others seem to have been caught in the chaos. 

Magnus is behind him, looking into the street, and Taako watches Magnus’ face as he recognizes the outlaw in the street. Johnny. Magnus’ eyes narrow as he spots him, and he’s reaching for the door already before Taako can grab his wrist. Magnus looks him in the eyes, and Taako thinks he looks a little confused, unsure why Taako has stopped him in his rushing outside. 

Making sure to look him straight in the eyes, just as Magnus did to him earlier, and tries to sound as serious as he can. “My dude, be careful out there. Johnny has killed anyone who has ever tried to stop him.” 

And Magnus nods at him, smiling a bit. “I’ll be careful.” And sweetly, he brings Taako’s hand up to him mouth, kissing his palm gently and returning it to Taako’s side. 

Before Taako knows what to say to respond to such a sweet gesture, but Magnus is already pulling away, unlocking the door to his shop and exiting to the street. Taako wonders if he should follow, but decides to not, watching instead from his window. 

He can’t hear exactly what’s happening outside, but he can hear the yells of the people outside die as Magnus walks into the street, looking heavy and intimidating. Johnny stands straighter, Taako notices, and sees him glower at Magnus. They’re maybe forty feet away from each other, looking one another in the eyes, staring each other down. He wonders if he’s missing any dialogue, but does not see Magnus nor Johnny’s mouths moving. They just stare at each other, and Taako holds his breath. 

If he blinked, he would have missed it. Within the span of a couple seconds, Johnny reaches for the leather holster on his hip, beginning to draw his pistol, but Magnus is faster, more attentive, seeing Johnny reach for his hip, and his reflexes are fast as he reaches for his pistol faster than Johnny can, and his quick aim is deadly, shooting Johnny in the chest. The air completely out of Taako’s chest, he watches red erupt, soaking Johnny’s chest, as he clutches his middle, and then crumbles to the ground. Magnus is breathing heavily, his chest rising and falling without interruption. The folks that had been on Johnny’s side seem to have quieted, and Magnus’ gaze is dark and heavy towards the rest of the people in the street. Reaching down, he holsters his gun, and walks again towards the saloon. 

Still feeling breathless, Taako turns to Magnus as he steps inside of the saloon. Before he can stop himself, he’s approaching Magnus, his arms coming to wrap around the man in front of him. Magnus hugs him back. 

Laughing a bit wetly, Taako speaks against Magnus’ shoulder. “Kinda glad you didn’t die.” 

Taako can hear the smile in Magnus’ voice when he speaks. “Me, too,” he says softly, and he pulls back from the hug just to connect his lips with Taako’s, confusing the elf, but Taako kisses back, feeling an odd home-brew of emotions. 

A little short of breath, Taako pulls away from the kiss, and faces Magnus. “So… you’re not leaving town right away, cowboy?” 

Magnus shrugs, a little too foolhardy. “I suppose I could stay a little while, barkeep. Pour me a drink?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i had so much fun writing this so i hope you also enjoyed reading it!!!
> 
> please leave a comment if you love gay cowboys : ) 
> 
> find me on tumblr @ barrytaz !

**Author's Note:**

> anyway i had western!taagnus on my mind for DAYS i had to get this out
> 
> thank you for leaving a comment, they're what helps me actually write <3 
> 
> find me on tumblr @ barrytaz! : )


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